Friday, July 2, 2010

Taking Fiji Head On - Snorkelling and Playing Chicken

All the islands of Fiji have a collective population just below 1 million, this makes for a rather scenic and empty country in spite of its small size.

Day 1 was more like night 1, we arrived exhausted at 4pm. Had dinner on the beach at First landing resort in Vuda point. Next door is a Marina owned by a famous surfer. The Fijian apparently first arrived here and they have built something akin to a foot with sand to mark this.

Day2 was Sunday and everything seems to be closed. We borrowed a car and went off to play chicken ... Er for a drive down the Queen's Highway towards Suva. The highway goes all around the island, but is unfinished in some of the north-east. Fiji seems like sugarcane island from the highway. We strolled around the relatively new Intercontinental in Natadola, rode around in horses and dashed off to Sigatoka. Making a run to Suva seemed pointless at the end of the day, with deteriorating light and people tailgating and overtaking at 110km/h inspite of national speed limit being 80km/h. Finally dinner was at the steak house in Denarau, while checking out the boats which take people out on cruises to the smaller islands.

Day3 we hopped onto a refurbished english tall ship with Captain Cook Cruises. We were back after a remarkable day of snorkelling, shouting at a snake (possibly tiger snake) and the first Kava ceremony for the tour. Dinner again at a Fijian restaurant at Denarau.

Day4 was another trip back to Sigatoka and a bumpy ride upriver to Cannibal caves. We rafted across a very shallow river, silted up and prone to flooding. Water comes upto the waist if you walk in it. We were guided by a member of the Fijian cricket team into a limestone cave featuring a natural cannibal oven.

Day5 went past before we noticed, most of it was spent in the pool and the aeroplane. That's what happens when you plan holidays 1 day before hopping on a flight.